Between 25-28 July a lot has happened in Łódź. In addition to numerous attractions related to the days of Łódź, on the walls of the "Olimp" dormitory of the University of Łódź at ul. Lumumba 12 a magnificent mural was created by Okuda himself. And all this on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Erasmus Student Network and the Erasmus program in Poland.
For 20 years, thousands of Polish students have been developing their skills and our Association. In 1998, the first section was created at the then Medical Academy in Warsaw. In 2018 we are present at 38 universities across Poland. We are proud to support the higher education system, and above all the international exchange program.
To mark our 20th anniversary, we have created a mural on the walls of the “Olimp” dormitory in Łódź. Thanks to the cooperation with the University of Łódź, the Urban Forms Foundation and our partners - BaseCamp and Ceri, we managed to achieve this goal. The project was created and realised by the Spanish artist Okuda. We can admire his works all over the world, including Hong Kong, Miami, Las Vegas, New York, Paris, Italy, Hungary, and now also in Poland. The Okuda style is undoubtedly original, characterised by geometric shapes, vivid colours and numerous figures of people and animals. His works, as Okuda says, convey a lot of positive energy, openness to new adventures, cultures and other people. "Travel is my greatest inspiration," the artist mentioned. Watching his work live, two questions come to mind. First, how on earth does he paint so quickly, and second, how is it possible that he does not use any templates. Okuda created the entire mural within 3 days with the support of his assistant, Marcos. They were painting from a scissor lift at the height of the fifteenth floor, while it was sizzling hot. Undoubtedly, the girls from the Urban Forms Foundation, who took care of the amount of paints, sprays, water and food on the spot, made it easier for them. But more importantly, they provided the artist with soft drinks and popcorn, which are just as indispensable as all the painting equipment.
It is worth mentioning that the Okuda mural was not the only one that was created at the time in Łódź. As part of its Festival, Urban Forms invited three other artists who created 3D works on the walls of Łódź buildings, including Peeta and Ajwer from Italy and Viktor Puzin from Russia. And all this thanks to Teresa Latuszewska-Syrda, who invited artists to Poland and together with the volunteers, provided the right conditions for work, including paint, man lifts, scaffolding, accommodation and meals. In case of some projects, the work was supported by students from the Łódź Academy of Fine Arts and local artists.
However, we are not going to stop at the mural. We will surprise you again, after all we are the best country in the Erasmus Student Network!
